San Gorgonio via Vivian Creek

San Gorgonio is the tallest mountain in Southern California, and a rite of passage for serious hikers in the area. At 11,503′, “Old Grayback” provides an excellent high altitude training for those preparing to summit Mt. Whitney, and an easy drive from most of LA and Orange counties.

There are several trails leading up to San Gorgonio, but none as steep as the Vivian Creek trail, which in less than eight miles to the summit climbs over a vertical mile.

With the highest final altitude and the greatest vertical gain, San Gorgonio mountain made a fitting finale to my Six-Pack of Peaks training plan.

The Six-Pack of Peaks

San Gorgonio is the sixth and final peak in my Six-Pack of Peaks series of training hikes. I used them to prepare for hiking the John Muir Trail, but others are doing it to prepare for hiking Whitney, or simply just for the adventure, the scenery and the mountain views.

Trail Description

The first section gives you a gentle, half-mile warm-up through the wooded Mill Creek Canyon.

The next section is a steep mile of switchbacks that climbs 1,000 vertical feet. A lot of people talk about this section with dread, but I found it very pleasant. Could be the payoff from all the other hiking I’ve done lately, but it’s forested trail with views over Mill Creek Canyon and to the west toward Mt. San Antonio.

SoCal Hiker Tip! Listen for the waterfall from Vivian Creek. There is a nice overlook about 10 yards off trail that gives you a good view of the falls.

The third section of the trail is parallels the beautiful Vivian Creek. This is an easy section and was really a highlight of the trail, with the sounds of the babbling creek, impressive pines and lush greenery. There is a popular campsite, though many of the sites are very close to the trail. Be wary of mosquitos! You might meet a few along this section.

The fourth section gets steeper, climbing past High Creek and up a number of switchbacks to the tree line. You may begin to feel the effects of the altitude as you approach 10,000 feet. The view opens up and you gain stunning vistas of Mt. San Jacinto and the Inland Empire.

The final section of the trail is a long, diagonal traverse near the ridge that leads to San Gorgonio. You climb steadily, with sparse vegetation and full exposure to the sun. It is dry and it can get quite hot, but it’s a well-engineered trail that climbs steadily and not-too-steeply to the summit.

As you reach the summit ridge, you’ll pass to junctions en route to the peak. The first is a spur that leads west toward Dollar Lake. Bear right and head eastward. Another 1/4 mile along the trail you’ll reach a junction with the Sky High Trail joining from the south. Continue straight for another .3 miles to the summit.

The top is a broad expanse of gravel and rocks that is a little anti-climactic. It feels more like a big mound than a peak. But it’s the highest point in Southern California, as the 360 degree views confirm.

The return route on this out-and-back trip is back down the nearly 8.5 mile trail. Fair warning, it will feel longer. Take your time and enjoy it. The views you enjoyed on your morning climb take on a whole new look in the afternoon light.

San Gorgonio Wilderness Trail Tips

Let me tell you the story about the Sixty Dollar Beer… But first, a few tips for making this an enjoyable hike.

Apply for your permit early. This is the second most popular trailhead in the San Gorgonio Wilderness, and permit quotas often fill up in advance. The permits are free, and the entire process can be handled via fax.

Start hiking early. The trailhead parking officially opens at 6am. We got there about 5:35 and there were only a few spots left in the upper lot. It’s a long day, and by starting early you’ll avoid the worst of the heat.

Be prepared. Yeah, it’s the old Boy Scout motto, but on an all-day mega hike like this, preparation really counts. Carry the 10 essentials. It’s a long trail. Don’t underestimate the water and electrolytes you’ll need.

Now about that $60 beer… After a long, tough hike there’s nothing better than a cold beverage. A study from Granada University in Spain even proved that beer hydrates better than water. But if your hike ends at the Vivian Creek trailhead parking lot, be sure that cold beverage is not an alcoholic one. The trailhead parking forbids the possession of alcoholic beverages. Somehow I missed that sign in the morning darkness (in my defense, we got there at 5:30 AM). I was happily sipping a cold beer when the forest rangers drove by. No warning — just a $60 fine and a lesson learned.

But the best part was the way my fellow hiker John R. described what they did with the five unopened cans.

“The Forest Service helped us celebrate the ending of the Six-Pack of Peaks series by ceremoniously watering the forest with our 6-pack of beer, symbolizing the connection between the hikers and the trees of the forest.”

Right on, John.

San Gorgonio via Vivian Creek Trail Map

PRO TIP: I track all my hikes using GaiaGPS. It’s the best solution for staying on the right trail, it works even when you don’t have cell service, and there are versions for iOS and Android. The app is free, and you can get a discounted membership for maps here.

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San Gorgonio Photo Gallery

Click any image to view a larger version. You can leave comments on individual photos, too!

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About Jeff Hester

Comments

Wish I was there with you all Jeff, it was a great details report and best wishes on your John Muir journey coming. If my time permits, I’ll try this trail this summer. Thanks again for posting, organizing and sharing with us your adventure. See you this Sat. on the trails!

That was one of the hardest day hikes I’d ever done when I did it 5 years ago this August. My gps had the round trip (without the detour) at 22 miles. I had a little trouble with the altitude as I approached the summit, but once I started down I was fine. That was a terrific hike. Nice job, Jeff. Loved the pix, too. Brought back some fine memories.

Thanks for the comment, Mike! August would be a brutal time to do it — pretty hot I’d imagine. We were fortunate — the weather was cool the entire trip up, even though the sun was quite warm and the skies were clear. On the way back down, it was noticeably warmer, and I was really glad to be moving downhill.

22 miles seems too much long, but GPS devices can be less than perfect, particularly with heavy forestation and switchbacks. On the other hand… it did FEEL pretty long, especially on the way back. You reach that point toward the end of the hike when you start wondering if you’ll ever reach the trailhead (you know what I mean).

You have quite a grand display of photos from this one Jeff, nice shooting! Great write up as usual. I’m glad I could join in on a couple of your “six pack” hikes, this one especially…and even despite the extra “adventure” with the Park Rangers :p

Someone asked me via Twitter when these photos were taken. This report and the accompanying photos are from a hike on Saturday, July 3, 2010. Both Vivian Creek and High Creek had a fair amount of water (as attested by the photos), but the snow was melting fast. As things heat up, YMMV.

Did the Vivian Trail many years ago in the dead of winter right after a big storm. Probably one of the most difficult things I have ever done. We went up with 16 well experience hikers all in preparation to take two groups (30 each) of high schoolers into the back county of the Sierra’s for a week. It took us three day. Out of the 16 people who attempted, only the leader and I made it to the top. Have not been back since but looking to give it a go here in a couple of weeks.

Looks like a great hike! Thanks for the write-up. I hope we have time to bag Gorgonio before heading to Whitney in July, though it’s not looking likely. If we have to do it as a day trip (driving from San Diego), do you have any recommendations for shortening the hike but still getting the altitude?

done on 11/11/2013. 4h:20m up, 3h:20m down, 10m on top. total 7h:50m with several breaks to eat, and several other shorter breaks to rest. pack light, you don’t need anything other than shorts, shirt, water, food, salt and sun lotion. it gets a bit windy close to the top, but bearable.

Jeff,
Amazing site. Thank you so much for all the great information. We are beginner backpackers and will be visiting San Gorgonio in late May. Do you have suggestions for what kind of first aid to take? We see a lot of lightweight kits but feel we should have something more appropriate for each region we visit. Or do those generic kits supply enough for any region? Thank you again for sharing such great information for us all to succeed and enjoy nature.
-Andrew

HI Everyone…I am looking to hike this mountain first weekend of September. Is there any tips you all have for me? It’s a friend and I that are doing it….we want to do it in one day. We hear you can overnight it but we’re not doing that….I’m not a camper, I’d like to get on that trail and conquer it! I’m super new at hiking, I’ve done a few small trails but nothing this long or this intense. I would appreciate any feedback, suggestions or tips you all might have for us. Patricia

I’m not one to break the rules but I have a free day this weekend and I would love to do this hike. I did Mount San Jacinto this last weekend and it gave me the itch. My questions is this. Do they check for a permit? I tried this morning to get one and it is not a shock that there are none available this close to my hike date. Any feedback would be welcome.

David, I did this trail two weeks ago and DID get stopped for my permit. Not sure what they would do if you didn’t have one. I also know that they reserve some portion of permits for walk-ins. If you’re first in line when they open, you have a good chance of scoring a permit. And if not for Vivian Creek… probably for one of the other trailheads.

Just tried this yesterday and made it until near the end of the ridgeline before giving up. Our feet were sinking to knee-deep in snow with every step, and that last 1.5 miles could’ve easily been 2-3 hours. Snowshoes are a must. When does the snow usually melt up there?

Loved the hike. Our running Garmin showed 19 miles from car in lower parking lot. 13 hours for us. More irregular trail than the Mt. Baldy trail, which we did last week in 5.5 hours. 56,000 steps per our iphone (versus say 36,000 for a marathon run). Plenty of water on April 19, both at High Creek and down below. Hard to move fast up or down due to lots of small boulders and rocks on the trail. Not a design defect, just the way that mountain happens to be. It rewards patience. Used all our fatigue management tricks on the way down (listening to music in one ear, caffeine pill, aspirin, extra shot of salt, extra shot of dextrose, meditation, singing to self, shot of smelling salts). All worked out fine and had a grand time. Used iodine tablet in 1 bottle of High Creek water and had 2 bottles filled with pumped/filtered water (kind other hiker loaned her pump). All tasted fine and went down without incident. Got off trail coming back along the high traverse for about 30 minutes – trail is hard to find in that area. Quite calm and warm at top. Had a 20 minute snooze, then had nice photos taken by other kind hikers of us (wife plus me) hoisting the Mt. St. G sign. Wish they made patches to sew on to back pack for Mt. St. G, Baldy, Whitney, etc. Went pretty light, less than 10 lbs each, mostly 8 seventeen ounce bottles of fluids (frozen concoction of water, 100 calories of dextrose/glucose, 1/4 tsp each of koolaid powder, salt/potassium, baking soda). No mosquitos. Beautiful redwoods, hike along creeks. Tree line quite high, say 11,000 feet. Almost no snow. Stayed in Redlands night before, drove in 20 minutes. Launched at 6:10 AM. Summit at 12:45. Best we could do going down was around 35 minute miles (versus say 20 minute miles along fire roads and easy trails segments on Baldy). Thanks for the helpful write up and photos. Seems like a nice trainign route for Mt. Whitney, which we hope to try in 2 weeks or so.

Summitted this past Saturday (5/9) and the snow was totally manageable. Ridge had moments of 6-8in where drifts had blown across the trail, but that was it. The rest was a steady inch or two in various parts; snowshoes definitely not necessary. However, according to the following link, heavy snow is projected for the mountain starting tomorrow morning (5/15), upwards of 1ft+ towards the summit:

Summitted for the first time on Sunday 6/14! Great hike. Perfect weather! Definitely struggled on the way up, but made up time on the way down. Thanks so much for the write-up, it was very helpful! We skipped Peaks 4 and 5, but we are planning to complete them before our Whitney hike on 4th July weekend!

I would like to hike San Gorgonio via Vivian Creek trail in the next few weeks but I can’t find this hike on any of the area’s meetup groups. Does any one knowof one? I never have hiked this before and I don’t want to try it alone.
Thanks,
Michael

What a fantastic hike! We hiked it on Sunday 10.25. We were lucky with the weather – there was a high cloud cover that kept us cool but allowed views that seem to go on forever. Very few people on the trail, so no problem with parking. We ran out of daylight on the way down, so our headlamps were appreciated. We started just before 8:00 a.m. and made it to the top around 2:00. At this time of year that’s probably too late to expect a daylight finish. A few other day hiker groups were also coming down in the dark.

Hey Jeff. I live in NH but will be in Southern Cal for Memorial Day. Thinking of taking this trail and even if we do not summit I will make it higher than 6288 (our state high point at Mt. Washington’s summit). Wondering about time. I know everyone is different, but I am a frequent hiker and in excellent hiking shape. Here over ice and snow and in spring/summer over roots/rocks/rivers I avg 2 mph. Any help or further guidance wicked appreciated. THANKS! ~ Kathy

I love your page. San Gorgonio is the first mouton I summited it holds a special place in my heart. Keep up the good work with this page, it’s much appreciated.

Kathy,
Depending on which trail head you start out of you might start at 6,000+ elevation. The altitude will hit you but don’t be alarmed its normal and ok to feel short of breath and a slight burn in the muscles much sooner than you are used to. Trust me when I say the experience is well worth the uncomfortable first mile / mile and a half, but your body will adjust and you’ll find your groove. 1st off get a permit 2nd you can day hike it but its going to be a long day (not too long). Plan for roughly 9 hours on the trail, bring layers because the summit can get windy, but you’ll be ready for by it the you summit. If you have the time try and do an over night it allow for you to get to know the area a little better and there is nothing like spending a night on a mountain (camping on the summit isn’t permitted) I’ve stayed at High Creek, Dry Lake, and Dollar Lake campsites. You can call the ranger station and they’ll help you get situated with a place to camp based on you goals for that weekend.

Can someone tell me of a nice campsite near the peak? Thinking of the summit but not sure of the conditions. We will be there towards the end of October. trying to get a permit for 12 and we have 4 going so far. If you want to join let me know. Broadbentlak@aol.com

Just curious while planning this hike.. and these details are not make or break… I’ve been thinking about this hike by the numbers listed here.. 17.3 miles / 5840 elevation gain. A hiker I met on a trail today said it was 20+ miles. The San G WIlderness website list the Vivian Trail as 18.6 miles / 5422 elevation gain. What’s with the differences? One of the above comments mentions it at 22 miles?

I’m not a gps pro but can they be that off from one another? I’ll see what my gps comes up with when I do it.

Hello my name is Saed, I’m planning to go this Saturday with 6 other people! The longest hike I have done was mt. baldy! What advice do you have for us beside being early there? Whom do I call to get a permit? Can you please send me the specific address to get there (the beginning of the trial)?

Saed, all of your questions are answered in the “Additional San Gorgonio Resources” section near the bottom of the post. We have a link where you can apply for your permit, as well as a link to turn-by-turn driving directions via Google Maps.

I’m going to be in L.A. for my sisters wedding in early/mid April and am thinking this would be a great overnight hike to do during my time there. Anyone know what I should expect for conditions during that time of year (I’m a year-round hiker in New England, so I have the gear and experience, just a matter of what to bring on the flight).

Also, should I expect to be able to get a permit this close to my hopeful hike date?

We did it cross country from Vivien Creek Trail head the first week of January 1972. Two friends and myself,. We were all 19 years old. We were members of a Sierra Club sponsored Explore post and had trained for more than a year in cross country wilderness hiking / camping. We drove up the night before and slept in the parking area. At early daylight we could see the peak. The weather forcast was clear for several days. There had bee some snow. Trails were covered with ~18: of coars snow. We decided to walk straight towards the peak. At one point along the way we decided it was to slippery and steep so we roped up and continued. we got to the top by early afternoon. The view in all directions was fantastic. Near the top the trail was easy to find so we followed it down. The last two hours were in the dark, but the moon was bright enough to see the trail. We were prepared, had extra water, clothing, food and a bit of experience. This method is not recommended for beginners.

Hi all! Backpacked up Vivian Creek trail and camped at the summit this weekend (Apr.28-Apr.29). Great conditions for the hike. Just a few patches of remaining snow/ice, (like 2-3 points in the trail). Windy summit. Water flowing at a number or points Vivian Creek and High Creek. I hope this helps!

Just completed this hike as part of the Six Pack Series, yesterday. I’m feeling it this morning. It was an amazing accomplishment. It feels great that I can say I hiked the tallest peak in Southern California. It was also my first 11K mountain. I liked what you said about it being anticlimactic at the top. This peak wasn’t my favorite looking trail out of the bunch. I’d have to award that one with San Jacinto.